Matt Howard is a two-time Academic All-American, yet not smart enough to shave off that mustache. Sad.
Heh.
05 April 2010
Great Moments in Other Blogs' Comment Sections (Gawker Edition)
so what did Kenny do to the creators of south park?
(in response to a Gawker post about accusations flying regarding the reason behind the offing of Nicolette Sheridan's Desperate Housewives character)
(in response to a Gawker post about accusations flying regarding the reason behind the offing of Nicolette Sheridan's Desperate Housewives character)
Darkly Twisted Thoughts That Are Also Chuckle-Worthy From the Mind of Ken Jennings (First in a Highly Irregular Series)
A trip to the dinosaur museum and the children’s museum! Wait a second. If the dinosaur museum is where you see dinosaur skeletons all bleached and mounted…what’s a children’s museum?
Heh.
The rest of that post, here.
LOL Obama, Daily 06 April 2010
Miniature Obama gets around. A shame Miniature Obama forgot to bring along a Miniature Chauffeur, hope he knows how to drive that thing himself...
Your Daily Photo (Giving the People What They Want Edition)
For some unknown reason, there was a big spike in traffic to my Flickr photos taken at the LA Auto Show these past few years. Probably just some bot hitting the all of flickr, but here's a Honda P-NUT for you, anwyay.
Things That Would Be Entirely Unsurprising to Just About Everyone Else on the Globe...
A few women marched toplessly through the streets of Portland Maine this past Saturday. (ht Drudge)
Clearly, the organizer of this event, Ty McDowell, has lived most her life in some alternate reality where she wasn't aware how this sort of display would be consumed by a significant portion of spectators (my guess, that alternate reality probably goes by the name of Bowdoin Gender and Women's Studies Department, but can't find hide nor hair of her elsewise on the internet, so who knows)
Here's her reaction as described in the local rag:
She's angry because people spectated while she chose to make a spectacle of herself and her compatriots.
If it's important for her to make toplessness normal for both men and women, then don't march in numbers Easter Weekend through the center of town. Folks took snaps, leered, and possibly jeered (though doesn't sound like there was jeering, just creepy leering), because it is unusual, because it was intentionally staged to be a spectacle, and because BOOBIES!!!
Sorry, boobies make some men a bit infantile, or at least juvenile. Male toplessness will never be equal to female toplessness in our society, get used to it. People discriminate between male torsos and female torsos, and that's that.
A suggestion for McDowell, for the next march, seed a few (obviously) under 18 year old girls in the mix, then any photos snapped by any creepy guys won't be publishable anywhere given our overly aggressive interpretation of what deserves to be described as 'kiddie porn'. That would turn the oglers from creeps to criminals the way our laws are currently interpreted.
Nudity shouldn't equal pornography in anybody's mind, yet that's how nudity is now treated in our culture (and that's a recent development). Make that nude person under the age of eighteen, and suddenly that nudity isn't just mere pornography (which is still ridiculous), but that nudity is transformed into outright obscenity (which is really ridiculous).
So, if you are going to challenge one social norm, might as well attack another one while you are at it.
I personally don't see a problem with women letting their areolae air out in public (and this is really about nipples and areolae, cause you can tool around in a bikini top that exposes everything but in every corner of this country already), and I doubt there are many public prosecutors who would charge a woman for letting hers free in a non-lascivious manner regardless of what the statutes say in that jurisdiction.
Beaches hereabouts for awhile were unoffcially topless. It wasn't explicitly stated that it was allowed, but folks (especially foreign tourists) weren't hassled on the beach if they chose to expose their breasts in a non-sexual way. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your attitude), that has gone by the wayside, and lifeguards are supposed to discourage the practice again, even when it's a lithe young frenchwoman showing off her moneymakers (and that's a travesty if you ask me).
Also, apparently, aliens totally dig it when women show off their areolae in public. I know this because the person behind National Go Topless day (and there is such a thing, though this recent thing in Maine appears not to be part of that) is the head of the Raelians. GoTopless.org (link shows some shots from past GoTopless days, so in the world we live that makes the site NSFW, which is another ridiculous thing) was founded by Maitreya Rael.
Here are few shots by a professional photographer taken at the Venice Beach event last year (also, NSFW given the idiotic and nervous attitudes people have in workplaces around the possibility of even the appearance of some sort of perception of sexual harrassment, but despite finding it stupid, I understand why human resources departments institute these sort of policies given our litigious society).
Seems like there are bigger things to worry about, whichever way your personal preferences fall on this matter.
And to be fair and balanced, here's a link to a more feminist-minded take on the same event from Mary Elizabeth Williams at Salon.
Clearly, the organizer of this event, Ty McDowell, has lived most her life in some alternate reality where she wasn't aware how this sort of display would be consumed by a significant portion of spectators (my guess, that alternate reality probably goes by the name of Bowdoin Gender and Women's Studies Department, but can't find hide nor hair of her elsewise on the internet, so who knows)
Here's her reaction as described in the local rag:
Ty McDowell, who organized the march, said she was "enraged" by the turnout of men attracted to the demonstration. The purpose, she said, was for society to have the same reaction to a woman walking around topless as it does to men without shirts on.
However, McDowell said she plans to organize similar demonstrations in the future and said she would be more "aggressive" in discouraging oglers.
She's angry because people spectated while she chose to make a spectacle of herself and her compatriots.
If it's important for her to make toplessness normal for both men and women, then don't march in numbers Easter Weekend through the center of town. Folks took snaps, leered, and possibly jeered (though doesn't sound like there was jeering, just creepy leering), because it is unusual, because it was intentionally staged to be a spectacle, and because BOOBIES!!!
Sorry, boobies make some men a bit infantile, or at least juvenile. Male toplessness will never be equal to female toplessness in our society, get used to it. People discriminate between male torsos and female torsos, and that's that.
A suggestion for McDowell, for the next march, seed a few (obviously) under 18 year old girls in the mix, then any photos snapped by any creepy guys won't be publishable anywhere given our overly aggressive interpretation of what deserves to be described as 'kiddie porn'. That would turn the oglers from creeps to criminals the way our laws are currently interpreted.
Nudity shouldn't equal pornography in anybody's mind, yet that's how nudity is now treated in our culture (and that's a recent development). Make that nude person under the age of eighteen, and suddenly that nudity isn't just mere pornography (which is still ridiculous), but that nudity is transformed into outright obscenity (which is really ridiculous).
So, if you are going to challenge one social norm, might as well attack another one while you are at it.
I personally don't see a problem with women letting their areolae air out in public (and this is really about nipples and areolae, cause you can tool around in a bikini top that exposes everything but in every corner of this country already), and I doubt there are many public prosecutors who would charge a woman for letting hers free in a non-lascivious manner regardless of what the statutes say in that jurisdiction.
Beaches hereabouts for awhile were unoffcially topless. It wasn't explicitly stated that it was allowed, but folks (especially foreign tourists) weren't hassled on the beach if they chose to expose their breasts in a non-sexual way. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your attitude), that has gone by the wayside, and lifeguards are supposed to discourage the practice again, even when it's a lithe young frenchwoman showing off her moneymakers (and that's a travesty if you ask me).
Also, apparently, aliens totally dig it when women show off their areolae in public. I know this because the person behind National Go Topless day (and there is such a thing, though this recent thing in Maine appears not to be part of that) is the head of the Raelians. GoTopless.org (link shows some shots from past GoTopless days, so in the world we live that makes the site NSFW, which is another ridiculous thing) was founded by Maitreya Rael.
Here are few shots by a professional photographer taken at the Venice Beach event last year (also, NSFW given the idiotic and nervous attitudes people have in workplaces around the possibility of even the appearance of some sort of perception of sexual harrassment, but despite finding it stupid, I understand why human resources departments institute these sort of policies given our litigious society).
Seems like there are bigger things to worry about, whichever way your personal preferences fall on this matter.
And to be fair and balanced, here's a link to a more feminist-minded take on the same event from Mary Elizabeth Williams at Salon.
04 April 2010
You Ain't Wrong (Week Ending 04 April 10)
You Ain't Wrong was a feature at this blog, early on, long ago dropped away, but is being resurrected today, and will be featured subsequent Sundays for the forseeable future.
For those who don't remember 'You Ain't Wrong', it's a collection of links to people around the web who exhibited exemplary aintwrongness during the week that was. Aintwrongness isn't just a mangling of the English language, it's also a way of life. Aintwrongness is doing your thing, while not impeding other folks ability to do their thing. Aintwrongness is recognizing when you might be trending towards douchiness and altering course away from douchebagdom. Aintwrongness isn't exclusively American, but more often than not, the American people are the most aintwrong people on this globe.
On to the aintwrongness...
M. Simon at Power and Control, You Ain't Wrong, obama's recently announced plan regarding expanding drilling is all smoke, mirrors, and half-truths. That he can get away with this nonsense due to a compliant and uncritical media is the antithesis of aintwrongness.
Dr. Helen Smith, You Ain't Wrong, questioning the wisdom of some social conservatives panicky attitude towards pornography. Free speech must protect speech you dislike as well as speech you like. Pornography is speech (when it's not outright obscene), and must be protected. I think Smith is on to something when she suspects that the real issue is controlling male sexuality. Any activity can become a wedge between partners in a weak relationship, just as healthy relationships have room for each partner to have quality 'alone time', even if that alone time involves questionable activities such as knitting, reading Dan Brown novels, or 'self-abuse' while watching videos of otherwise naked people pleasing each other while wearing animal masks (hey, don't judge).
Hortense at Jezebel, You Ain't Wrong, expressing disapproval at celebrities who claim afflictions they don't actually have. Realizing Moby and Miley Cyrus are both idiots in their own special ways doesn't take great insight, but it's a notion that deserves expressing, nevertheless.
The Bird and The Bee, You Ain't Wrong
, in releasing your surprisingly fantastic exploration of the Hall and Oates songbook. Above is a very pregnant Inara George, along with the rest of The Bird and The Bee, performing with a 'special guest' from a month ago at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles (and if you want to help a blogger out, when you buy this album, buy it through the link on this page).
Professor Bainbridge, You Ain't Wrong, in highlighting the awesomeness that is Jeremy Clarkson and Top Gear. Automotive media done right.
Speaking of Jeremy Clarkson, You Ain't Wrong, on applauding the joint operation of nuclear subs by France and Britain. Here's an excerpt to convince you to click the link:
The villagers of Vrontados, You Ain't Wrong, nothing says Easter like pyrotechnics!
Netflix users, You Ain't Wrong, if you stream Metropolis (2001 Anime version, not a remake of the Fritz Lang thing). It's beautiful, it has a decent story, and the English dub isn't too annoying. Recently available for streaming, if you haven't seen it before, indulge yourself and enjoy. And for those that picked up the iPad and the Netflix app, go ahead and use this as the movie you test watching films on that device you Apple fanatics are all in love with at the moment.
Lovers of kickass images, You Ain't Wrong, if you check out this Flickr Blog post of people launching stuff.
Victor Davis Hanson, You Ain't Wrong, when you hold the Obama Administration's feet to the fire. Read the whole thing, but here's VDH's close:
I think that's a sufficient amount of aintwrongness for this reborn You Ain't Wrong post. But there was also another feature to these posts that also gets reborn this week. As there is a north and south pole, as there is black, and there is white, as there is Yin and Yang, there is aintwrongness and antiaintwrongness. As you'd expect, antiaintwrongness is the state of being that exemplifies all that is opposite of aintwrongness. Now I know some may quibble and suggest that it would be simpler to call it 'wrong' or 'wrongness', but I posit that antiaintwrongness is different from mere wrongness in that it isn't just the state of wrongness, but it's also the state of being in opposition to all that is aintwrong. You can be aintwrong without being right, just as you can be wrong without being antiaintwrong, but there are those moments when stupidity, stubornness, and general assholery leads to the state of antiaintwrongness, and when those moments happen, I'll be here to point them out.
For the re-inaugural edition of AntiAintWrongness this week, I feel compelled to go after our dear leader, President Barack Obama.
President Barack Obama exemplifies the epitome of AntiAintWrongness when he let loose with a 17 minute response to a simple statement by a citizen when she complained that she felt she was 'over-taxed'. If that's not a moment that goes into the AntiAintWrong Hall of Fame, then there shouldn't be an AintAintWrong Hall of Fame. Also, Anne Kornblut at WaPo's 44 blog, you get an antiaintwrong within an antiaintwrong for your attempt to give the President a pass for his extreme douchebaginess. Kudos for reporting it, but a slap on the wrist for doing every journalist trick in the book to try and downplay just what a remarkably out of touch, tetchy, and thin-skinned jerk the President revealed himself as being (once again) with his rambling 17 minute 2500+ word diatribe.
Hope you enjoyed me getting type-y for a change. It's been awhile, I plan on more posts where the words outweigh the pictures hereabouts, but you'll still be getting your daily doses of Photos and LOLObamas. And as the week develops feel free to drop links in the comments as suggestions for the aintwrongness that will get recapped on April 11th.
For those who don't remember 'You Ain't Wrong', it's a collection of links to people around the web who exhibited exemplary aintwrongness during the week that was. Aintwrongness isn't just a mangling of the English language, it's also a way of life. Aintwrongness is doing your thing, while not impeding other folks ability to do their thing. Aintwrongness is recognizing when you might be trending towards douchiness and altering course away from douchebagdom. Aintwrongness isn't exclusively American, but more often than not, the American people are the most aintwrong people on this globe.
On to the aintwrongness...
M. Simon at Power and Control, You Ain't Wrong, obama's recently announced plan regarding expanding drilling is all smoke, mirrors, and half-truths. That he can get away with this nonsense due to a compliant and uncritical media is the antithesis of aintwrongness.
Dr. Helen Smith, You Ain't Wrong, questioning the wisdom of some social conservatives panicky attitude towards pornography. Free speech must protect speech you dislike as well as speech you like. Pornography is speech (when it's not outright obscene), and must be protected. I think Smith is on to something when she suspects that the real issue is controlling male sexuality. Any activity can become a wedge between partners in a weak relationship, just as healthy relationships have room for each partner to have quality 'alone time', even if that alone time involves questionable activities such as knitting, reading Dan Brown novels, or 'self-abuse' while watching videos of otherwise naked people pleasing each other while wearing animal masks (hey, don't judge).
Hortense at Jezebel, You Ain't Wrong, expressing disapproval at celebrities who claim afflictions they don't actually have. Realizing Moby and Miley Cyrus are both idiots in their own special ways doesn't take great insight, but it's a notion that deserves expressing, nevertheless.
The Bird and The Bee, You Ain't Wrong
, in releasing your surprisingly fantastic exploration of the Hall and Oates songbook. Above is a very pregnant Inara George, along with the rest of The Bird and The Bee, performing with a 'special guest' from a month ago at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles (and if you want to help a blogger out, when you buy this album, buy it through the link on this page).Professor Bainbridge, You Ain't Wrong, in highlighting the awesomeness that is Jeremy Clarkson and Top Gear. Automotive media done right.
Speaking of Jeremy Clarkson, You Ain't Wrong, on applauding the joint operation of nuclear subs by France and Britain. Here's an excerpt to convince you to click the link:
There’s another reason it’s important for the navy to maintain its fleet of boomers. Having a nuclear submarine in your arsenal is what makes a country important. Take that away and what is Britain left with? A lot of potholes, a health system that doesn’t work and a bunch of political leaders who have to make after-dinner speeches to make ends meet. We’d have to be twinned with Ethiopia.
The villagers of Vrontados, You Ain't Wrong, nothing says Easter like pyrotechnics!
Netflix users, You Ain't Wrong, if you stream Metropolis (2001 Anime version, not a remake of the Fritz Lang thing). It's beautiful, it has a decent story, and the English dub isn't too annoying. Recently available for streaming, if you haven't seen it before, indulge yourself and enjoy. And for those that picked up the iPad and the Netflix app, go ahead and use this as the movie you test watching films on that device you Apple fanatics are all in love with at the moment.
Lovers of kickass images, You Ain't Wrong, if you check out this Flickr Blog post of people launching stuff.
Victor Davis Hanson, You Ain't Wrong, when you hold the Obama Administration's feet to the fire. Read the whole thing, but here's VDH's close:
In any isolated circumstance, we are willing to give the president of the United States a pass on a particular disturbing decision. But after 14 months of them, the Obama particulars add up to a remaking of America that is now clear and consistent: Grow government; redistribute income; establish permanent political constituencies of dependents; increase entitlements; hike taxes; demonize “them” while deifying their supposed victims; seek global neutrality abroad; and always play fast and loose with the truth.
I think that's a sufficient amount of aintwrongness for this reborn You Ain't Wrong post. But there was also another feature to these posts that also gets reborn this week. As there is a north and south pole, as there is black, and there is white, as there is Yin and Yang, there is aintwrongness and antiaintwrongness. As you'd expect, antiaintwrongness is the state of being that exemplifies all that is opposite of aintwrongness. Now I know some may quibble and suggest that it would be simpler to call it 'wrong' or 'wrongness', but I posit that antiaintwrongness is different from mere wrongness in that it isn't just the state of wrongness, but it's also the state of being in opposition to all that is aintwrong. You can be aintwrong without being right, just as you can be wrong without being antiaintwrong, but there are those moments when stupidity, stubornness, and general assholery leads to the state of antiaintwrongness, and when those moments happen, I'll be here to point them out.
For the re-inaugural edition of AntiAintWrongness this week, I feel compelled to go after our dear leader, President Barack Obama.
President Barack Obama exemplifies the epitome of AntiAintWrongness when he let loose with a 17 minute response to a simple statement by a citizen when she complained that she felt she was 'over-taxed'. If that's not a moment that goes into the AntiAintWrong Hall of Fame, then there shouldn't be an AintAintWrong Hall of Fame. Also, Anne Kornblut at WaPo's 44 blog, you get an antiaintwrong within an antiaintwrong for your attempt to give the President a pass for his extreme douchebaginess. Kudos for reporting it, but a slap on the wrist for doing every journalist trick in the book to try and downplay just what a remarkably out of touch, tetchy, and thin-skinned jerk the President revealed himself as being (once again) with his rambling 17 minute 2500+ word diatribe.
Hope you enjoyed me getting type-y for a change. It's been awhile, I plan on more posts where the words outweigh the pictures hereabouts, but you'll still be getting your daily doses of Photos and LOLObamas. And as the week develops feel free to drop links in the comments as suggestions for the aintwrongness that will get recapped on April 11th.
LOL Obama, Daily 04 April 2010
President Obama, doesn't let celebrating Easter get in the way of working hard.
Good for him.
(depending on what work he's working on, might be bad for the country...)
Your Daily Photo (Bloomin' Lilies Edition)
Our lilies don't bloom around Easter, generally, so make do with lilies from June. Happy Easter.
03 April 2010
LOL Obama, Daily 03 April 2010
President Obama signing a proclamation declaring a Cesar Chavez day. Seems like he's been inflated in importance cause hispanics needed their 'own' civil rights figure, but the UFW accomplished very little, waged an ineffective strike and boycott, and were supported by, and used rhetoric inspired by outright communist.
The sort of divisive idiocy spewed by the UFW and groups like La Raza and MEChA damages the lives of those hispanics that buy into their anti-assimilation, anti-american and anti-business rhetoric. Naturally, Obama supports that sort of nonsense, it fits right in with his various mentors like Ayers and Wright.
Your Daily Photo (Jelly Belly Edition)
Almost bought a huge thing of Jelly Bellys last Costco trip, but trying to cut down on sugar, so passed.
Guess I could have turned them into a sugary "LOL Obama" similar to this Reagan portrait, but Obama doesn't have a connection with the brand the way Reagan did.
02 April 2010
LOL Obama, Daily 02 April 2010
I think it's time to amend the constitution and eliminate the census. It's needlessly expensive, it's needlessly intrusive, it's wastefully executed, and it duplicates work done by municipalities and states.
Rather than apportioning congressional seats through the census count, apportion them by the vote totals in each district every other presidential election year. That'd fix a lot of nonsense (while creating some interesting new nonsense).
Your Daily Photo (Go Lakers and Things You Might Also See at the Obama Library Edition)
Hopefully, Pres. Obama's future museum will have a few of these on display as well (he's already received one signed ball from the LA Lakers, why not a few more?).
01 April 2010
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